Last week I came across a new area where Redheaded Woodpeckers were foraging and nesting. There were hundreds of debarked trees; old elms, sycamores, cottonwoods, hackberries, persimmons, and oaks. I noticed one redheaded woodpecker and then a dozen more sharing the same area. One pair was nesting only 4-5 feet above ground; the rest 20-35 feet up. That was the lowest RH Woodpecker nesting I have ever seen. It was dark and raining so I could not use a good setting to “stop” action, so a may photos are not clear or just OOF. Not happy with the photos. There are a lot of photos; no sun until late afternoon:

There are many quail in the valley this year ! This is a huge comeback from last spring/summer – when I rarely saw one and heard only a few all summer. This year, they started calling around April 20th; seems all day every day. So happy to hear them and I see them almost daily too. I do see several every week.

Much more common in OK and TX and far Western AR, and scarce here are the beautiful Painted Buntings. I saw nesting pair this morning here and was able to take a few photos. They seem to be in semi-dry areas, old fields, along fence rows and frequently occur with Dicsissels, Eastern Kingbirds, Blue Grosbeaks, and Scissor Tail Flycatchers. If you find these birds along a dry road with a fence with brush against the fence posts, you may be able to find a Painted Bunting.